Automatic faucet closer for bathtubs



Oct. 25, 1932. H. MOESER AUTOMATIC FAUCET CLOSER FOR BATHTUBS Original Filed June 24, 1929 avwemtoz f fla gn 11/0956) 33 1115 flttomm v Patented Oct. 25, 1932 HUGO MOESER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC FAUCET CLOSER FOB BATHTUBS Refiled for abandoned application, Serial No. 373,082, filed June 24, 1929. This application filed April 20,

1932. Serial No. 606,507.

This is a renewal of my application Serial No. 373,082 which has become forfeited on October 9th, 1931, and abandoned on April 9th, 1932.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for preventing the overflowing of water over the edge of bath tubs or the like, and it is the principal object of my invention to sound an acoustic signal as soon as the 10 water in a bath tub has reached a predetermined level and to release thereby a mechanism forclosing the faucets.

Devices have heretofore been constructed for giving an alarm as soon as the-water level in a bath tub rises beyond a certain predetermined level, however these devices were evidently useless during the absence of the=attendants or when no attention was paid to the signals, audit is therefo-rethe object of my invention to provide a device acting in combination with'the signal device to automatically close the faucets and stop the further flow of water from the same.

It will be clear that such a device will eflec tively prevent that annoying overflowing of Water frombathtubs and thus avoid the accompanying damage to floors, and ceilings beneath, 7

Another object of my invention is the provision of a device of this character, which is comparatively simple and one which can be readily attached to any bath tub fixtures as at present in use, without the necessity of materially changing the same.

'A further object of my invention is the provision of a device for automatically turn ing off the water discharged from faucets which have been left open, in which an acoustic signal is operated by a float and in turn operates the faucet, operating means to close the same, while not interfering with their normal operation. p 7 These and other objects and advantages of my invention will become more fully known as the description thereof proceeds and will then be specifically defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig.1 is a front elevation of a device for 7 As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the customary valve controlled faucet 1O offixture 11, arranged in the usualcustomary manner on a bath tub,-has attached thereto by means of a sleeve 14 and brackets 15, a comparatively large gear 12 containing a spring 13.

Secured to the spigots 16 and l7respectively are bevel gears 18, and 19 by means of suitable clasps 20, 21 respectively.

A bel 22 is attached by suitable bracket 23 to faucet. 10, laterally disposed thereto, and within said bell a gear 24 is mounted, which meshes with the large gear 12..

A substantially S-shaped lever 25 is pivoted intermediate its ends, as at 26, in the bell and carries at one end a hook 27 normally held in engagement with gear 24 by means of a spring 28. The other end of lever 25 car-' ries a striker 29.

A casing 30 attached tobracket 23 has mounted therein diametrically opposite each,

other, a pair of racks 31, which are adapted to be engaged by spring members 32 to sup-, port an open topped, hollow metal float 33, the springs engaging the racks with a force just suflicient tosupport the float when the fioatis empty. I

To a pin 34 at the upper end of float 33 is attached one end of a cord 35 or the like, the other end of which is connected to a reel 36 and a mechanism designed to wind a spring 37 when the float moves downwardly.

The shaft of the reel carries for thispurpose a small gear or pinion 38 in mesh with the toothed periphery of a drum 39 containing spring 3 i The shaft of reel 36 carries also a gear 40 in mesh with a gear .41, the shaft of which carries a sprocket wheel 42 adapted to be engaged by a tooth 43 on lever 25, and gear 41 meshes with an intermediate gear 44 in turn meshing with gear 24.

A control lever engaging with its tooth 46 the toothed periphery of spring drum 39 on the rear end of shaft 47 of the large gear 12, journalled on sleeve 14, is mounted on a bevel gear 48 in mesh with a bevel gear 49 on a shaft carrying also a bevel gear 50 in mesh with bevel gears 18 and 19.

The operation of my device will be entirely clear from the above description and the drawing, and it will be evident that the water in a bath tub, rising above a predetermined level, will flow into the hollow float 83,'which will-sink and pull cord 35 downwardly to cause the spring 37 to be wound. Upon the unwinding of the spring, the gear system will raise the upper end of the lever 25 and the striker will intermittently strike the bell, while the lower hook 27 of said lever will be driven away from the gear 24 so that now gear 12 comes free to remove under the action of its spring which will close the faucets or spigots by the intermediary of the bevel gear system.

In the modified form'of my invention illus trated in Figures 3 and 4, in which the faucets are attached to a conduit projecting from a wall, the bell and float arrangement are constructed as described above with respect to the preferred form.

The faucets 51 and 52 are at the end of water conduits projecting from the wall above a bath tub.

A comparatively large gear 53 held to the faucet fixture by means of a pair of clamps 54 r is engaged by the wheel and is rotated by its spring about shaft 55.

This gear 53 meshes with gears 56 and 57 on the stem of the faucet valves, and it will be evident that upon the release of gear 24 in the manner described above with respect to the preferred form of the device, the gear 53 will tend to close the valves, so that little or no water will be discharged through the spots 58, 59.

It will be understood that I have described and shown the preferred forms of my device only as examples of the many possible ways to practically construct the same, and that I may make as many modifications in the construction of the device as come within the inoperative, adapted to be released upon the of faucet valves to close the same, a spring operated gear for operating said bevel gear system to close the faucets, a means for normally keeping said spring operated gear inactive, and a signaling device for releasing said last named means to ring a bell to close said faucets.

3. In a device of the class described, a float controlled bell, a lever carrying'the striker for said bell, and a hook, a spring controlled gear, means for normally keeping said gear inactive adapted to be engaged by the hook of said lever, means for releasing said hook from said last named means to turn the spring controlled gear by its spring, a shaft for said gear, a bevel gear on said shaft, a large bevel gear in mesh with said bevel gear on the shaft, faucets and their valve stems, bevel gears on said stems adapted to be operated by said large bevel gear to turn the valve stems to prevent further discharge of water from said faucets.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of two faucets and their stems and fixtures with a means for automatically turning said stems to close the faucets, said means comprising a large spring operated gear, a means for securing said gear to the faucet fixtures, a gear on each of the stems in mesh with said large gear, a means for normally holding said large gear inoperative and a float controlled signaling means for releasing said large gear to operate said stem gears to close the faucets.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of two faucets for bath tubs including their stems and fixtures, with a means for automatically closing said faucets, said means comprising a bevel gear on each of the stems of said faucets, a bevel gear in mesh with each of said first named bevel gears, a shaft for said bevel gears, a large bevel gear on said shaft, a bevel gear angularly disposed to said large bevel gear, a shaft therefor, a spring operated large gear on said shaft, means for normally keeping said large gear inoperative, an acoustic signal adapted to be operated by a float sinking under the pressure of the overflow water, means controlled by said float to release the signal and the means for keeping the large gear inactive to'sound a signal and close the faucets as soon as the level of the water in a bath tub exceeds a certain predetermined level.

In witness whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HUGO MOESER. 

